OFF THE SHELF
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massive aftermarket disruption is well underway. Your business will be dramatically affected this year by what the shops you sell to are going through. Shop owners who can see the prevailing trendlines are paying very close attention to the changes that are sweeping through our industry. They know that to ignore those changes is to risk commercial failure. Are you also paying attention to the changes? The ongoing disruption will gain steam in 2020 as a “new aftermarket� emerges. Every jobber must understand how it will affect their business. Here are some of the biggest topics to think about as you prepare for the next 12 months.
Telematics
Telematics will continue to grow, especially in the fleet business. It gives fleet managers key data on every vehicle in their stable, assisting them in scheduling critical maintenance to hit their safety, reliability, and efficiency targets. The ultimate goal, of course, is to save the company money. Are your shop clients looking after fleets professionally? Open a discussion with shop owners. They need to examine their relationships with existing fleet clients, and develop strategies to attract prospects. This starts with truly understanding the value they bring to fleets. Are you, as a parts supplier, on top of the telematics factor?
Ride sharing
Ride sharing and advanced vehicle service requirements will continue to grow in 2020. What does this mean to your client shops? Plenty! The share of consumer business they get will soon start to shrink. The default client base is about to morph toward more light-duty commercial fleets. Your clients need to prepare for this change, creating new partnerships with ride-sharing companies to replace the shrinking base of consumer business.
Data ownership
The question of who owns the data generated by increasingly connected vehicles will be a key fight for service providers. The question is bound to heat up in 2020. The aftermarket must do a better job of educating consumers about the value of their data. Shops that engage their clients on this topic report that very few car owners truly 16
JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2020
w w w. a u t o s e r v i c e w o r l d . c o m
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Welcome to 2020...
By Bob Greenwood, AMAM
understand how much data is generated by modern vehicles, nor how much of it the carmaker is able to read. The aftermarket must have access to this information as well. It is the consumer that should be giving data privileges to their preferred service provider. More than ever before, motorists need expert counsel on vehicle maintenance. This starts with granting their service partner permission to tap into their data stream.
Service information
Access to vehicle data will heat up more in 2020, as new software hits North American vehicles. Where are your client shops getting the information they need? Are they up to date on how to reflash a vehicle? Do they understand the value of relying on the National Automotive Service Information Task Force (NASTF) for repair information? Do they know how to navigate the NASTF website? This is a great opportunity for jobbers to be a resource to their client base.
Government lobbying
The aftermarket is going to have to increase lobbying efforts to inform governments about what is truly at stake here. The rights and choice of vehicle owners must be protected. The OE wants
